CMS issues emergency regs on daily COVID-19 reporting for hospitals, critical access hospitals

Editor's Note

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on August 25 issued emergency regulations requiring all hospitals and critical access hospitals to report daily COVID-19 data.

The data includes:

• number of confirmed or suspected COVID-19 positive patients being treated
• ICU beds occupied
• availability of ventilators, PPE, and other essential supplies and equipment.

The requirements are essential for planning, monitoring, and resource allocation during the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency, CMS says.

Hospitals and critical access hospitals that fail to comply with the requirements will face possible termination of Medicare and Medicaid payments.